From his birth into the brave new scientific world of Copernicus and Galileo to his demise and the unusual fate of his body, this concise book presents a sound and readable introduction to the context of René Descartes's life and thought. Harry Bracken then draws upon the words of Descartes himself to introduce the philosopher's controversial theories on the dualism of mind and body, and the supremacy of the rational ideal, before providing a sharp analysis of the continuing role that Descartes plays in our own philosophical and moral landscape.